


reasons to kill a man

by theladiesyouhate



Category: Mob City
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mentions of Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 13:17:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2111313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladiesyouhate/pseuds/theladiesyouhate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sound of someone knocking furiously on his door startled Joe out of an uneasy sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	reasons to kill a man

**Author's Note:**

> The lovely ashleyaj on tumblr prompted Ned/Joe + "oh fuck, oh fuck" and this is what happened as a result. Many thanks to Zoe, for helping me channel all my emotions into something resembling a story, and Aubrey, for beta-ing and helping me with ending this silly thing.

The sound of someone knocking furiously on his door startled Joe out of an uneasy sleep. For a moment, the sound transported him back to Guadalcanal, and he lost himself in a sea of images, of bodies lying on the ground, explosions turning the night to day, and a pair of terrified brown eyes. 

He gripped the sheets tightly and willed himself back to Los Angeles as the knocking continued. Once his breathing evened out, he pushed himself into a sitting position, and turned on the lamp on the small bedside table. The clock read that it was close to one, and Joe glanced towards the door in confusion. He rarely had visitors as it was, certainly no one who’d turned up at this hour. 

The knocking resumed, and he heard Ned’s voice through the door. “Joe! Wake up, I need to talk to you! Answer the door!”

Joe frowned and stood up, heading over to the door and looking out into the hallway through the peephole. Ned was standing outside, clearly agitated. He kept glancing down the hallway, almost as though he expected someone to have been following him. Joe sighed and unlocked the door. 

Ned jumped slightly at the sound, attention snapping back to the door. For a moment, he simply stared, and Joe was suddenly aware of the fact he hadn’t pulled a shirt on over the pair of loose pants he wore for pajamas.

Ned recovered quickly. “About time,” he said, pushing past Joe to step into the apartment. 

Joe glanced out into the empty hallway for a moment before closing and locking the door. “You got any idea what time it is?”

Ned just raised an eyebrow at him in response. He stood in the center of Joe’s apartment, taking in the almost spartan space with a look of disdain. Joe watched him, his own anger fading into a sense of awkwardness. He and Ned hadn’t spoken in two months, not since he’d put twelve rounds through Ben Siegel.

“So what brings you here?” Joe gestured towards the small armchair in the room as he settled down on the edge of the bed. “After everything, I thought you were done with me.”

“I never said that,” Ned replied as he sat down in the chair. 

Joe shrugged. “That’s the impression I got.”

Ned’s scowl deepened. “Would a little remorse kill you? Do you have any idea the spot you put me in?”

“Yeah, you mentioned it.” Joe shook his head. “You told me not to take you with me when I went up in flames. So I didn’t. No calls, no meetings, nothing that could tie you to me. When they come for me, you’ll be safe.”

Ned’s expression flickered for a moment. “How sweet,” he said drily. 

Joe shrugged. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

Ned scowled again. “Yeah, well you don’t have to worry about someone knocking down your door anymore. It’s over.” 

He took a deep breath. “Sid Rothman is dead.”

The words settled into the space between them. 

Ned kept his eyes fixed on Joe, almost defiant. “He was poisoned at the club a few hours ago. Someone slipped something into his drink. The waiter who brought it to him was found an hour or so later, with a bullet in his head.”

Joe simply stared. “How -”

“It doesn’t matter.” Ned’s eyes dropped for a moment. “The point is that you’re safe now. No one will come after you.”

He met Joe’s eyes again and smirked.

“You did it.” The accusation slipped out before Joe even knew he was going to say something.

“And if I did?” Ned leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “You don’t exactly have the moral high ground here, Gunny.”

Joe ran a hand over his face. “I killed Siegel to protect Jasmine. It was different.”

“And I killed Rothman to keep us both safe,” Ned said sharply. “He was getting too close to the truth, and I had to make a decision to save both our asses. You think you cutting off contact was gonna convince them not to go after me? The second they dug your grave, they’d have dug mine right next to it. If I hadn’t taken care of this -”

“By causing just as much trouble,” Joe snarled. “What if Mickey finds out?”

“Mickey’s an idiot who does what I say.” Ned leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. 

Joe got to his feet and paced across the narrow room. “You said Rothman had suspicions, what if he passed ‘em along? You think it won’t look funny, him turning up dead like that?”

“Not when everyone else bought the bullshit story I cooked up about how some two-bit loser shot Ben because he wanted to make a name for himself.” Ned got to his feet as well, glaring at Joe. “Like I said, Mickey’ll believe whatever I tell him.” 

“And what if he doesn’t?” Joe stopped pacing, suddenly furious. “He’ll kill you.”

“I was dead anyway!” Ned was yelling in earnest now, fists clenched at his sides. “Rothman would’ve killed me on his way to get to you. At least now we’ve both got a fighting chance, which is more than you ever did for us!”

Joe let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, and saving your life three times doesn’t count?”

“That was during the war. Nowadays, things are a little different,” Ned sneered. “But I guess this is the thanks I get for repaying that favor and saving your ass.”

“And why,” Joe shouted, “do you care so much?”

Ned’s words died on his lips, and he stared at Joe in shock. Joe pressed forward. “You could’ve given me up and all of this would’ve gone away. But instead you took the risk and killed Rothman yourself. That puts you in just as much danger. And all for what, because you wanted to keep me safe?”

Ned gaped at him, anger and disdain quickly giving way to what almost looked like hurt. Joe took a deep, steadying breath. “Look, all I want -”

Ned cut him off by crossing the distance between them in a couple of steps and pressing his lips against Joe’s. Joe stiffened momentarily out of shock and Ned pulled back, eyes wide with fear.

“Oh fuck,” he said quietly. “Oh, fuck.”

Joe looked at him, realization dawning slowly. “I… I didn’t know…”

“And I didn’t want you too.” Ned stepped back from Joe, trying to appear calm. “I… fuck, I’m sorry, I’ll just go…”

He turned to leave, but Joe caught his arm. “Wait, Ned!”

Ned turned to look back at him. Joe struggled for a moment to find the right words for what he wanted to say. He’d thought about kissing Ned before, but he’d never imagined that it would actually happen, that Ned would kiss him or want him. That he’d be willing to risk his life for him. 

Ned was still watching him anxiously, half-poised to make a run for the door, and Joe finally found the words he wanted.

“Don’t go,” he said softly. “Please.”

Ned’s lips quirked upwards into a hint of a smile and Joe leaned forward to kiss him again. Ned sighed into his mouth as Joe pulled him closer. He gently ran his hands over Joe’s chest, mapping out every inch of skin with his fingers. Joe let his hands wander as well, holding Ned’s hips tightly as he kissed a line down his neck.

As Ned moaned his approval, Joe reached up with one hand to tug at the knot of his tie, trying to loosen it. Ned suddenly pulled back, reaching up to catch Joe’s wrist with one hand, eyes suddenly serious.

“No, wait,” he said firmly, and Joe pulled back as well. “I’m not here for a pity fuck, or you screwing me cause you think you owe me something.”

Joe nodded. “I understand,” he said, trailing his fingers across Ned’s cheek. “And I want this too.”

Ned’s expression softened. Joe gave him a small smile. “I want this,” he repeated. “I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

Ned’s eyes dropped to the ground for a moment. “Ever since the war,” he said slowly. “Joe, I….”

He trailed off. Raising his eyes to meet Joe’s again, he shrugged out of his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Joe watched as he undid his tie and let that fall as well. Ned arched his eyebrow slightly, giving Joe a crooked smirk. “Are you gonna help, or do you just want to watch the show?”

Joe let out a low laugh. “C’mere,” he said, pulling Ned in for another kiss.


End file.
